I've forgotten to post this for a few days now lol. Anyway here I present to you PANDAS. This is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. It is believed to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body's antibodies against the Streptococcus bacteria instead attack the brain. The disorder only fires up when a person acquires a strep infection such as strep throat. However, instead of developing a sore throat, PANDAS patients begin exhibiting strange psychiatric symptoms. These symptoms include repetitive ticks and behaviors tantamount to Tourret's Syndrome and OCD. Together, the symptoms may mimic the stereotypic behaviors of autism patients. Treatment involves simple antibiotics to kill off the bacteria and halt the immune system's mistaken reaction to the brain. Because the strep bacteria are now gone, the strep antibodies go away and symptoms disappear. The disorder is rare, and many misdiagnoses occur due to the symptoms. SSRI's are usually mistakenly prescribed. A way to check for and confirm PANDAS is to check the blood for strep antibodies if a patient is exhibiting psychiatric symptoms.
When I saw the half word 'neuro' I immediately thought brain. When that proved to be correct I was proud of myself. :')
